Vikram Seth Books

Set in post-colonial India, this is a sweeping saga of four Indian families who must conduct their lives through an era of newborn independence and political crises, when Hindu, Muslim and Western cultures clash with new vehemence.

The three Chinese poets translated here are among the greatest literary figures of China, or indeed the world. Wang Wei with his quiet love of nature and Buddhist philosophy; Li Bai, the Taoist spirit, with his wild, flamboyant paeans to wine and the moon; and Du Fu, with his Confucian sense of sympathy with the suffering of others in a time of civil war and collapse. These three poets of a single generation, responding differently to their common times, crystallise the immense variety of China and the Chinese poetic tradition and, across a distance of twelve hundred years, move the reader as it is rare for even poetry to do.

Vikram Seth's novel is, at its core, a love story: Lata and her mother, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, are both trying to find—through love or through exacting maternal appraisal—a suitable boy for Lata to marry. Set in the early 1950s, in an India newly independent and struggling through a time of crisis, A Suitable Boy takes us into the richly imagined world of four large extended families and spins a compulsively readable tale of their lives and loves. A sweeping panoramic portrait of a complex, multiethnic society in flux, A Suitable Boy remains the story of ordinary people caught up in a web of love and ambition, humor and sadness, prejudice and reconciliation, the most delicate social etiquette and the most appalling violence.

`The perfect travel book' New Statesman Hitch-hiking, walking, slogging through rivers and across leech-ridden hills, Vikram Seth travelled through Sinkiang and Tibet to Nepal: from Heaven Lake to the Himalayas. By breaking away from the reliable routes of organised travel, he transformed his journey into an unusual and intriguing exploration of one of the world's least known areas. 'Vikram Seth is already the best writer of his generation' Daniel Johnson, The Tmes

Ten witty and enchanting animal fables in verse - in a beautifully illustrated new format

"The great California novel been written, in verse (and why not?): The Golden Gate gives great joy."--Gore Vidal One of the most highly regarded novels of 1986, Vikram Seth's story in verse made him a literary household name in both the United States and India. John Brown, a successful yuppie living in 1980s San Francisco meets a romantic interest in Liz, after placing a personal ad in the newspaper. From this interaction, John meets a variety of characters, each with their own values and ideas of "self-actualization." However, Liz begins to fall in love with John's best friend, and John realizes his journey of self-discovery has only just begun. "A splendid achievement, equally convincing in its exhilaration and its sadness."-- The New York Times "Seth pulls off his feat with spirit, grace and great energy."-- The New Yorker "A marvelous work . . . bold and splendid . . . Locate this book and allow yourself to become caught up, like a kite, in the lifting effects of Seth's sonnets."-- Washington Post Book World

The violinist hero of Vikram Seth's third novel longs for secret harmonies but finds himself frustrated in London, ten years after a pivotal disaster. Michael Holme is irritated by his beautiful young girlfriend and colleagues in the Maggiore Quartet, feeling he plays second fiddle in both life and art. A chance encounter with Julia, the pianist he once loved in Vienna, brings him unexpected joy, yet her situation and a career-threatening secret may jeopardize their reunion. Though shorter than Seth's previous work, this novel is rich in personal and lyrical complexities, avoiding any clichés. Michael's emotional struggles are palpable, especially when he reflects on the inadequacy of his words to express his feelings for Julia. The novel also explores the dynamics of the Maggiore Quartet, highlighting the joys and tensions of collaboration. One member likens the quartet to various relationships, emphasizing its intricate blend of pleasure and conflict. The narrative intricately weaves music into its fabric, making the length of Schubert's Trout Quintet significant and the discovery of a rare Beethoven piece miraculous. As Michael grapples with his feelings for both Julia and his beloved, loaned Tononi violin, Seth masterfully keeps readers engaged, leaving them curious about the Quartet's encore and the true reasons behind Julia's departure. This love story spans from London to Michael's northern England roots, Vienna, and Ve

An extraordinary account of the political upheavals afflicting the newly independent India,taken from the bestselling A SUITABLE BOY.

TWO LIVES tells the remarkable story of Seth's great uncle and aunt. His great uncle Shanti left India for medical school in Berlin in the 1930s and lodged with a German Jewish family. In the household was a daughter, Henny, who urged her mother 'not to take the blackie'. But a friendship developed and each managed to leave Germany and found their way to Britain as the Nazis rose to power. Shanti joined the army and lost his right arm at the battle of Monte Cassino, while Henny (whose family were to die in the camps) made a life for herself in her adopted country. After the war they married and lived the emigre life in north London where Shanti, despite the loss of his arm, became a much-loved dentist. During his own adolescence in England, Vikram Seth lived with Shanti and Henny and came to know and love them deeply. His is the third life in this story of TWO LIVES. This is also a book about history, encompassing as it does many of the most significant themes and events in the 20th century, whose currents are reflected in the lives of Shanti, Henny and their family: from the Raj and the Indian freedom movement to the Third Reich, the Holocaust and British postwar society.